Vo-tech Aids In Retraining After Layoffs

September 17, 1985|by CHUCK AYERS, The Morning Call

Mary Stover had been trained for a highly specialized job at Leeds and Northrup Corp., North Wales. It was a job, really, that was particular only to companies in the electronic instrumentation and process control systems industry.

So when the 33-year-old Sellersville woman was laid off in April, she possessed skills applicable to only one job.

So the mother of three took a different tack to find a job. Rather than remaining beholden to the limitations of a specialized industry, she is now working with high school graphic arts students in an experimental program at the Upper Bucks Vocational-Technical School in Bedminster Township, learning skills for a job in the printing trade.

The newly introduced 550-hour training program for adults began with the school year only weeks ago. School Director Dr. Joseph Harosky says it's "going very well."

"When I finish the program I'll have a skill and I'll be available. There's no place you can beat that. Seven months' training and you have skills for a job," she said.

Glenn Pfaff of Quakertown found himself in a similar situation.

Pfaff, who worked on a punch press and various assembly line jobs for Mack Trucks in Allentown, said that when he was last laid off from work he heard of the new program from a relative finishing a nursing program at the school.

While his main source of income was derived from working at Mack, he has maintained a second job on the side, producing arrows at a shop in his home.

"I've always been interested in the machine shop," he said, "but I didn't take it in high school. I figure if I don't get it now, I'll never get it."

His ultimate goal is to develop the insight and dexterity needed to expand his arrow-selling business to the point where he can earn a living from it.

But first, he said, "I want to know the safety in everything. I want to start from scratch."

While he didn't anticipate any problems with the program, working with sophomore students in the shop was not a completely smooth transition.

At first a couple of the students thought it odd that a man his age would be in class, he said, "but I told them a little about my education and now they think a little different."

Stover on the other hand said she was nervous to be taking classes with students about half her age but found them receptive to having her in class.

She commented, "I was really surprised. They were really nice. I know I'm an adult and they're students and I'm never going to be their pal, but they have been veryfriendly."

Instructors for both classes feel that although the adults must be treated the same as students in that they must obtain hall passes, there exists the potential for both young and older students to benefit by the presence of the others.

Stover, for instance, was receiving instruction on a typesetter from a student knowledgeable about the machine.

Donald Rohrbach, graphic arts instructor, said Stover had done very well in the first two weeks and was carrying a 94 average.

"So far it seems to be beneficial to the students. This particular person is a benefit, she's a good student," he said.

"She will get the very basics," Rohrbach said, "and where she is very strong we will put some emphasis on that area.

"Because she has the attitude that she really wants to learn and always works, she makes up some of the hours of instruction normally allotted a full- time three year student," Rohrbach pointed out. "She's more efficient."

Pfaff, according to instructor Kerry Kramer, is able to illustrate theoretical examples from his previous experience in the workplace.

Harosky has high hopes that the program can be expanded in the future to include economically disadvantaged adults who may qualify for funding to acquire the skills necessary to make them marketable.

As of now, he said, "we're feeling our way through, but we're hoping this will grow to include 15 to 20 adults in classes."

The $800 fee, Harosky and the adult students agree, is an equitable amount for learning enough skills to become productive and employable.

The school boasts a more than 94 percent placement rate, Harosky noted, "and we're anticipating we're going to place these adults. Last year there were more jobs available to the school than we had students trained."

Said the director, "These people know what a vocational education is worth. In fact they're paying for it."